


Black Light

by Duskfire



Series: Black Light [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: And then frozen again, I WILL FIX IT, I have no idea how to tag, I mean it, M/M, Slow Burn, and then melted over the weakest flame ever, author can kinda tag but not really, basically most of konoha's genin, but frozen, goes off of cannon hard, i don't want to be in america anymore i'm using kilometers now, i'm talking major left turn, if anything's wrong or off please tell me, like molasses, no beta we die like they/thems, not cannon, so slow there isn't even a scripted kiss, some ooc characters but just tell me when they're ooc and i'll fix them, then 300 square kilometers of screaming, two acts btw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27623876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duskfire/pseuds/Duskfire
Summary: There was nothing left but Naruto Uzumaki and the sky after the end of the decade-long Fourth Shinobi War. So he went back. It wasn't such a big deal except for the fact that everyone he saw dead and dying were now alive, not to mention the fact that he can't seem to move on with his plans.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & team seven, Hatake Kakashi/Future! Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Future! Naruto Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto & Uchiha Sasuke & Haruno Sakura
Series: Black Light [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019665
Comments: 10
Kudos: 119





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Update Schedule: Mondays and Thursdays every week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the prolouge but I'm confused with the chapter thing so it's chapter one now. I guess.

**Kurama** **/Biju speak**  
 _Human Thought_

Original Made: Sometime in December

Edited: 03/23/2020  
 **_______________________** **___________**

Rubble surrounded Naruto as he collapsed onto his back. Everything hurt, and Naruto's eyes closed. He was out of ideas. Madara was dead, but so was everyone else. Clouds hung overhead. It was never sunny anymore, and it hasn't been since the war started. Naruto knew it was a little off of him to wish for a little sun right at the end of his life.

He could feel dried blood clumping his yellow hair together, although it was more of a paler, less kill-me-yellow than it had been when he was a genin.

Everyone had died in front of him. Neji, Sasuke, Sakura, Gaara, Lee. Naruto had watched Kakashi go down after finally killing Obito. Everything they'd done hadn't been in vain, however. But, at the same time, they'd fought and died for nothing.

 **"What the hell are you doing?"** Kurama's voice snapped him out of his pondering. Naruto's eyes snapped open, revealing deep pools of blue that held a dark, haunted look. They were more crystalized than usual, holding the terrors of war. Naruto could shield his emotions, but there was nobody around, so what was the point?

Naruto didn't want to move. His limbs were heavy and his eyelids were already drooping, a blackness at the edge of his vision. "Dying." He chuckled in a raspy voice. It sounded humorless and echoed over dead bodies buried in stone. Naruto had became the Seventh Hokage only to watch his village crumble to ashes. Everything he knew and loved just collapsed under piles and piles of rubble.

 **"Not on my watch."** Kurama snarled at Naruto, but his voice held an odd tinge of kindness to it.

Naruto held up a weak hand, watching as fresh blood dripped down from it. The skin itself was pale, due to malnourishment and chakra exhaustion. Naruto hadn't slept lately, causing bags to stand out against his pale skin. He hadn't eaten except for a few soldier pills- the last of them- scarfed down yesterday. Or was it the day before that?

Naruto didn't really remember.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Naruto said dryly.

 **"Well, I may have a way to turn back time. The war wouldn't have happened yet. Maybe not even the Chunin Exams. It honestly depends on how long my chakra will last."** Kurama said.

Naruto pondered over the words. "Wha- what? Kurama, you could've done this the entire time?!" He snapped out his question, anger bubbling inside of him

Honestly, Naruto was usually quiet and calm, a side effect from the war. He was only loud when he got angry, and Naruto had always been told he mumbled when he spoke. But there was nobody but Kurama to hear his screams, to see the world around them.

Bloodstains coated the rubble, and quite a few shinobi lay dead on the floor, kunai and rusted weapons sticking out of them. Some bodies weren't even left. Kurama ignored his outbust, moving on with his explanation.

 **"You would be back in this body still, so I think we might just be able to pull this off."** Kurama said, clearly excited.

"We?! Kurama, answer me! What the hell are you going to do?" Naruto raged, ignoring the way his pain fluctuated to a higher rate the louder he got. His blue eyes filled with tears.

_We could've come back the entire fucking time. The entire time?! We could've prevented the war- and, and..._

Naruto's palms raked through his long hair. He hadn't had the time to cut it, and it flopped down to a few inches below his shoulders. He almost looked like Ino had after she'd cut her hair after a mission that went wrong.

 **"..."** Kurama trailed off, clearly ashamed. **"I'm sorry. I only just thought of the jutsu."**

Naruto sighed, tugging at his hair a little. The jolt of pain brought him back to his calm self, and Naruto frowned. "How does it work?" He asked quietly, ignoring his swimming vision.

 **"I'll disappear after I use this jutsu."** Kurama admitted, although his voice was still harsh and grating. **"We'll basically fuse together. Nothing will really change, maybe your looks and attitude, but you won't start growing nine tails or anything. All of your summoning contracts will be lost."**

**"You'll be, how old are you? Twenty? Twenty-five? Anyway, you'll be whatever age you are now. Nobody will know it's you unless you tell the Hokage. If you don't, you'll have to work behind the scenes and pray that nobody notices you."**

**"The handsigns are rat, boar, monkey, rat, dog."** Kurama finished. **"Do this jutsu when I tell you that you can."**

Naruto blinks, trying to absorb the information. "So, you'll fuse with me at my current age, I get a new look. Then I don't get a choice in even doing this jutsu and I might have to tell the Hokage, my choice If I don't, though." Naruto summarized.

 **"Yeah, essentially.** " Kurama says. **"Remember the handsigns?"**

"Rat, boar, monkey, rat, dog." Naruto repeated.

 **"Now. Do them now."** Kurama demanded.

Naruto flashed through the seals in a lightning-fast pace, and a white-hot agony hit him.

Fire crawled up his spine, and Naruto screamed. His vocal cords and his lungs felt like they were being ripped apart one by one.

Pins and needles came after the fire, and black dots swam over Naruto's vision.

He barely heard Kurama's last words.

 **"Make sure to fix the world, and good luck."** The last part was spoken with respect and wistfulness. **"Naruto."**

And with that, Kurama poured his chakra out of Naruto's body. His skin turned a dark red, his whisker marks growing thicker on his gaunt cheeks.

Then, with blinding pain, Naruto was gone from this timeline.

**____________________________**

_H_ _ello!_ _This story is based off of other_ _time-travel_ _fanfictions that I've read. However, there are some major differences. My story is kinda_ _darker-_ _for the more serious people and_ _such-_ _and contains mature themes as mentioned in the description._  
 _Thank you for reading the prologue. Feel free to comment on any of my mistakes as this is the un-edited verison. Just use constructive criticism, please._

_This chapter barely scrapes over 1,000 words, but other chapters will usually be just around 1,500-2,000 words except for the first few._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I had to republish this cause A03 didn't exactly do what I wanted it to do- publish the chapters in the correct order.

_Hello, reader! Thank you for clicking on this book and reading it. I know some will probably skip over the little notes at the beginning and end of the chapter, but that's alright._

_Human thought_

Original Made: 12/30/2019

Edited: 12/31/2019

Edited(2): 10/08/2020

**_______________________________**

Okay, so maybe Naruto was a little screwed.

He woke up in a grassy clearing, leaned up against a small tree. His torn clothes hung off his extremely thin frame, and Naruto stared at a lock of his hair, which was crowding his vision.

It was a dark yet light red, almost like his mother's hair but lighter. Naruto frowned, noticing that the very tips were the lightest reds, almost white, and his frown deepened.

Naruto struggled up, patting down his pockets.

Everything was with him still, from his fuinjutsu supplies to his many, many kunai and other various weapons.

A tattered Hokage's cloak hung over his shoulders, and Naruto frowned. He took it off, before dipping into his chakra reserves. They were full.

"Fire Style: Fireball." Naruto whispered, and his Hokage cloak was nothing but ashes.

Naruto spread out his senses, closing his eyes as his chakra coated the clearing and beyond. There was nothing, and Naruto nodded to himself.

"I can't have them sensing who I am... I wonder if my chakra signature has changed. Hmm..." Naruto pulled out a blank scroll, a bottle of ink and a small quill. He dipped the quill into the ink, took a deep breath, and Naruto slipped away from reality as he made a seal that would erase his chakra signature to everyone else but him. It would also hide his chakra levels to about mid-level jonin, so Naruto had to be careful about this.

It had been noon when Naruto first woke up. Now it was close to maybe 3 o'clock.

The leaves had started to rustle after awhile, and Naruto quickly slapped the finished seal right over his heart, the seal fading into his skin. Only the design remained, and for others it looked like a fancy tattoo. To him, it was the only thing keeping him away from Ibiki's clutches.

Naruto shook his head slightly, sealing his fuinjutsu supplies away. He focused on the environment around him, and felt rather than saw two chakra signatures heading his way.

They were oddly familiar.

Naruto muttered a curse word before he started to climb up a tree, completely vanishing as he leapt branches. The chakra signatures had started to follow him, and seemed to be speeding up in hopes to catch up with him.

 _Fuck._ Naruto sighed, his eyebrow twitching as he paused in his running. His torn clothes fluttered around him a he finally saw the ninja catching up to him.

It was an Inuzuka he didn't recognize, and a clanless ninja that were trailing after him. They both had jonin vests on.

Naruto quickly smirked at them, sending them a calm wave. "Hello, shinobi-san." Naruto grinned suddenly, unable to contain his excitement. His eyes lit up, and the Inuzuka shivered.

"I'll be going now, ne?" Naruto turned around, his hand slipping into a worn kunai pouch. It was more efficient than the ones they had currently, judging by the Inuzuka's own pouch.

Naruto tossed a kunai at the clanless ninja before jumping off the tree branch. Scenery whirled in front of his eyes, green and brown. Finally, he stopped, leaning against a tree.

Naruto wasn't used to using the Hirashin. It had been his father's jutsu, and Genma had taught it to him a month or two after the war started.

The world still spun around him, and Naruto panted, leaning his forehead against the tree. He wasn't ready to face Konoha.

Which was a bad thing because he was very close to the gates.

Naruto frowned, before rummaging in a scroll. "Sakura made me carry around one once... Where did I put it?" He muttered, before coming across a scroll with a blue rubber band around it.

Naruto quietly opened it, crouching behind the tree and hiding his chakra out of habit. Toothpaste, a toothbrush, a small mirror, and some floss popped out.

Naruto grabbed the mirror, looking at his reflection. He gasped, one of his thin fingers reaching up to his face.

Naruto's high cheekbones were clearly visible from starvation, and his eyes had changed. Instead of a crystal blue, they were more of an extremely soft purple that glinted red once he tilted his head. His long blond hair had been replaced by straight red hair that faded to a very light red.

He no longer had the whiskers that distinguished him from his father. Instead, his cheeks were pale and clear. His jawline was more delicate, something that was more like a girl's was.

Only one thing marred his face, and that was a small scar underneath his left eye. It stretched towards his left cheek. Naruto remembered that one.

It had been made by a kunai when Naruto had first gone against Madara. Naruto instantly knew two thing to get into the village.

He'd have to sneak into the village using a fake name.

Or he would shunshin into said village.

**___**

Naruto peeked around the corner, watching as the gate guards, Kotetsu and Izumo, bickered with each other. Their backs were facing the gate, and Naruto made a handsign and henged.

His hair changed to brown, and so did his eyes. His high cheekbones and gauntness were henged to make him look well-fed.

And then casted one of his genjutsu over a piece of paper, making it seem like he had a small ID.

For the name... Hmm... Hikaru means light, and he was technically here to stop war. Good enough.

And, well, nobody would believe he was anything other than an Nara. So he would be Hikaru Nara, merchant of Konoha until he talked to the Hokage and became Hikaru Uzumaki.

Naruto stepped out before remembering to place a quick henge over his clothes. He now wore a long sleeved black shirt, and dark blue pants.

He walked towards the bickering gate guards. "Uhm...? Excuse me? Shinobi-san?"

Kotetsu and Izumo turned around at the same time, and Naruto felt a flicker of pain at seeing them. They'd both died defending Konoha civilians from the second attack on Konoha, where almost everyone sheltered once other villages were razed down to the ground.

Naruto- No, Hikaru pushed the pain away, focusing on the gate guard. "Hello. May I enter?"

"Identification card, please." Kotetsu immediately asked.

Hikaru handed over his ID, nervousness blooming inside of him as they scanned the card.

"You may enter. Enjoy Konoha!" Kotetsu cheerfully called after him as Hikaru scurried away.

He looked up, feeling a pressure behind his eyes. He was _home_. But this wasn't his home at the same time. His home was with his family, when they had all been alive and happy.

Hikaru could only stand and stare at Konoha, tears welling up in his eyes. He missed Konoha so much. He'd missed the lively chatter of Konoha, Hikaru had missed everything about it.

A tear threatened to spill over his cheek and suddenly Hikaru was dashing towards an alleyway, his breaths coming in sharp, jagged movements. His back harshly hit the concrete, and Hikaru sat down. The henge slowly faded, and Hikaru pulled out a scroll. Looking around, Hikaru changed into a new set of what he'd been wearing earlier. It was a simple long-sleeved black shirt and standard dark blue pants with black shinobi sandals.

Hikaru had thought he'd be overjoyed to see his village, to meet up with his family again. But Hikaru didn't think he'd be able to face them. Not like this, not right now.

Not when their dead, _bloody_ bodies still were freshly implanted in his mind.

His chest tightened, and Hikaru found it even harder to breathe. His world tipped and spun around him, panic gripping Hikaru un it's jaws and never letting go. Hot tears rolled out of his face as Hikaru's hands tugged at his red hair.

How the hell was he supposed to save the shinobi world when he could barely save his village?

**____________________________**

_Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter to the best of your ability._

_This chapter currently has 1382 words_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All updates will be before 10:30 central mountain time in the U.S.!!

_Hello! Second chapter, I hope you enjoy_

Original: 12/31/2019

Edited: 11/23/2020

**_______________________________**

Hikaru calmly walked out of the alleyway, an undetectable henge slipping over him, making his 'brown' eyes not puffy, and his cheeks not red.

All in all, he looked like he didn't have a panic attack a few minutes ago, which was good for first impressions. He also looked like he had earlier, which was a good thing.

Hikaru nodded to himself, tilting his head. They wouldn't let just anyone visit the Hokage, but he could just Hirashin into here. Most likely a bad idea, but the best he's got at he current moment.

He reached out his chakra, closing his eyes. Then it connected with a seal in the Hokage's office, and Hikaru is suddenly standing there, in the middle of his office.

The Hokage would've been dead by now if he'd been attempting to kill him. But Hikaru wasn't, so he remained in place. His shoulders were tight, and kunai point at his neck, one hovering near his spine. Cold ANBU masks stared at him, and Hikaru blinked for a second.

"Who are you?" The Hokage commands, a touch of steal entering his tone.

Hikaru's back straightens, and he slowly pulls his hand away from his waist. "I am no threat, Hokage-sama. I just wish a private office with you."

The Hokage eyes him, before nodded. The ANBU trail away, knowing better than to disobey their Hokage.

Once the privacy seals are activated, Hikaru lets the henge fade. The brown hair switches to red, but the puffiness around his now violet eyes is still isn't visible.

The Hokage frowns. "Who are you?"

"My name used to be Naruto Uzumaki." Hikaru says, his eyes dancing to the ground. He remembers talking with the Hokage, seeing the world through a still rose coloured lense. He didn't know the horrors of war back then.

Naruto had been so determined to do something he'd forgotten to take care of himself.

Now here Hikaru was, trying to fix his own mistakes.

"I come from a different timeline where everything is the same as it is now." Hikaru softly said. "Except most of the world is dead and razed to the ground."

Hikaru pushes away his memories. Now isn't the time to regret. Now isn't the time to mourn. He had a world to save, he could do it afterwards.

The Hokage stared at him, his eyes unreadable. "Explain."

That one word contains an order, the tone one Hikaru used to use. He'd snapped out orders to try to save his world, his Konoha.

Hikaru sighs. "In my timeline, we- we had a war." Hikaru swallows a knot rising in his throat. "Everyone died. Kurama performed a jutsu to send me to a different timeline, and I must've absorbed what was left of him, because now I look like this." He guestures blankly to himself.

"Who started the war?" The Hokage's eyes pierced him, and Hikaru had a distinct feeling that this was the reason why he was called 'God of Shinobi'.

"Madara Uchiha." Hikaru stated. "Although it was helped by Obito Uchiha, who posed as Madara."

"Impossible..." The Hokage's eyes narrowed, and his hands clasped behind his back as he stood up. "How did this happen?"

Hikaru took a deep breath and told him everything that he remembered before the war. It wasn't much, although he mentioned it all went to hell when he graduated. After all, he hadn't been taught, Orochimaru had spies in the village.

"The graduation ceremony is in a week." The Hokage murmured. "Do you think you can take care of everything by then? After a day of rest, of course."

"Hai." Hikaru asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a storage scroll. "May I get an apartment next to the younger Naruto?"

"Hm... Yes." Sarutobi answered. "If I can ask, what's your current name?"

"Hikaru Uzumaki." Hikaru pulled out some money from the tattered scroll and put it away. He felt almost uncomfortable in the office that had been long torn down in his timeline. This was where he used to work, this is where he chatted with his friends the most.

The Hokage tossed him a key. "Here. Use this to get into your apartment. Make sure to buy some clothes and essentials on the way, Hikaru."

"I will, Hokage-sama."

×××

Hikaru calmly walked through the streets, his back and shoulders straight. His chin was lifted up very slightly as to not show arrogance. His strides were long, and his face was blank.

He tried not to think about the familiar chakra walking his way.

His heart started to pound in his chest, but Hikaru ignored it. His gaze searching the crowd. Tall silver hair poked up, a well-worn orange book held in a single hand.

Hikaru forced himself to continue walking, his eyes trailing around the streets. He traced his finger along the edge of the key, trying to calm himself.

Kakashi had died from a mistake of his. A huge mistake that had caused the war to tilt more towards the losing side. Kakashi was one of the last to go, fighting beside Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and Tsunade. The rest of the ninja had long stopped fighting.

Naruto had thrown a Rasengan at a bunch of white Zetsu, and had left himself open for the next attack. Kakashi had taken the hit, and collapsed while fighting a few hours later.

Hikaru's hands shook, and he whisked his eyes away from his long-time sensei and friend. People were pressing him in on all sides, making his head spin.

Hikaru walked faster, passing by Kakashi with a small shiver. He failed to notice the way Kakashi's eyes were focused on his back.

Hikaru had places to be, people to ruin. He had no time for the past, only the future of this world.

Hikaru continued to the red-light district, and went by where Naruto lived. He inserted the key into the door next to Naruto's apartment, about to open the door.

"Woah! I have a neighbor, dattebayo?!" A boisterous voice interrupted Hikaru's thinking, and Hikaru hid his flinch and the sudden sound.

"Hello." Hikaru turned towards Naruto, his eyes dancing over the attire. It was truly a week before his graduation if he was still wearing the bright orange jumpsuit. He'd outgrown it a long time ago, when Hikaru learned that stealth was key and started to wear darker colours. He still enjoyed orange, but preferred more practical colours to wear.

"What's your name? My name's Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo." Naruto asked, a bright grin on his face.

"Hikaru Uzumaki." Hikaru stated, watching joy slowly form on Naruto's face.

Hikaru regretted everything up to this point. He'd wished he had thought to just shunshin here, to not run into Kakashi or his younger self. His slightly more innocent self.

He wasn't prepared to run into a bunch of people that he cared about, even years after their deaths. Hikaru had been stupid, told himself that he'd be okay.

Hikaru had always been a bad liar.

"Uzu- Uzumaki?!" Naruto's hopeful blue eyes stared at him. "I have family?"

Hikaru's soft violet eyes were cast to the side, his cheek turned away from Naruto. "Yes. I'm your mother's cousin."

"My mother?"

"Kushina Uzumaki." Hikaru stated. "That was your mother."

Without any fanfare, Hikaru opened the door to his apartment, stepped in, and closed it. A shocked Naruto was left there.

Hikaru leaned against the door, his back hitting it with a thud. His hand rested over his eyes, and Hikaru sighed. He knew Naruto didn't need anymore coldness in his life. But Hikaru was so- so startled at meeting, well, himself, that he'd snapped back into his old mood. His detached, calm, quiet self.

Hikaru closed his eyes briefly before standing up. He needed to sleep, get his vest and hitai-ate. He would be a jonin for now, although being in ANBU would honestly be easier because then he could have the mask.

Hikaru placed various storage scrolls on the kitchen counter, adding a touch of chakra to each one. They spilled open.

More clothes. A few pans, pots, plates, and eating utensils. The apartment was soft of furnaced- there was a stove, countertops, a microwave, and a fridge. He also had a couch in the living room and a small bed in his bedroom complete with a bookshelf and a closet.

He had no carpet, which was good. Carpets were a pain to clean.

**_________________________________**

_Hello! So, we're on the second chapter already. Think this is pretty much just about the length each chapter is going to be._

_This chapter is 1452 words._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for not updating for awhile, I forgot the password to this account and only just remembered it.

_Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_  
_Human thought_

Original: 12/31/2019

Edited: 12/10/2020

**__________________________________**

Hikaru opened the door, staring at the ANBU in front of it. A folded-up green vest was in their hands. A hitai-ate lay on top with a dark blue band on it.

"You're Hikaru, correct?" The ANBU asked in a monotone voice.

"Hai." Hikaru reached for the things in the ANBU's hands, picking them up. "Thank you, ANBU-san." He said in a soft voice.

He turned around, closing the door as the ANBU disappeared. It was the same night he'd seen Kakashi and Naruto, thus the Hokage made good on his promises.

Hikaru ran his thumb over the Konoha symbol, a small smile playing over his lips. He hadn't seen this in a long, long time. Not since when Konoha had become a place of refuge, of so many village symbols blurred together. It hadn't been just the Will of Fire anymore. Konoha was never just the Will of Fire.

Hikaru set his vest on the kitchen table, his hitai-ate clutched in his hand. His violet eyes gleamed red in the dark, and Hikaru wondered off to his bedroom.

He didn't really feel that hungry.

×××

Hikaru woke up to his vision blurry and feeling like he slept on a pile of clouds. Which, to him, he had. There was a bed when Hikaru was used to sleeping wherever he got the chance too.

He sat up, getting changed into his normal wear. With a few seconds of thought, Hikaru slid on his jonin vest. He tied his forehead protector around his left arm, before glancing into the mirror in the bathroom.

Okay, he still had red hair and violet eyes. And his skin.

That was good.

Although the henge had faded and showed bags underneath his eyes and the gaunt cheekbones.

Hikaru sighed, slipping into a henge almost as easily as walking when you've done it for most of your life. And providing you have legs, of course.

He looked healthy enough now. There was no shadows underneath his eyes and not looking like a skeleton anymore.

Hikaru turned around, walking out of his apartment. It was a little after dawn, the sun still rising over rooftops. Cloud were drifting in the sky, and Hikaru sighed.

 _Another day of running from almost everyone I know._ He thought to himself, taking a step out of the shadows of the apartment building.

Until an orange blob crashed from behind him, running straight into his back.

Hikaru blinked, as he stumbled forward slightly, turning around to see a sheepish Naruto. "Sorry, Hikaru-san." Naruto muttered.

"Hikaru will be fine, Naruto." Hikaru regained his senses enough to stop his natural glare. Although he was panicking on the inside, Hikaru could control himself. It wasn't much different from consoling crying families because you have to tell them yourself that their relative is dead.

"Uhm- okay!" Naruto sent a grin at Hikaru, and Hikaru tilted his head.

"What are you doing out so early?" He asked. Hikaru knew that the Academy did not start this early, so his younger counterpart was either pulling a prank or pulling a prank.

"I was gonna pull a prank on the villag'rs, but I bumping into you." Naruto mumbled, his foot scuffing against the dirt path.

"Sorry for being so cross with you yesterday." Hikaru said quietly. "I was merely tired from my mission."

"Mission?" Naruto looked up, his blue eyes sparkling. "What type of mission? Did you save a country from a evil crimeboss? Rescue a princess from a tyrant? Save a prince and defeat people holding orphans hostage?"

"It's top-secret, Naruto." Hikaru said, slightly embarrassed. "Today's my day off, so do you want to go get ramen? I'll pay."

Hikaru watched Naruto's face morph in suspicion, but lighten at the thought of ramen. "Sure! I know a good place not to far from here!"

"Lead the way." Hikaru said, watching as his younger self led both of them to Ichikaru Ramen.

It had burned before the village had. Teuchi and Ayano were killed I'm the first attack on Konoha after Pein has attacked. They were missed dearly, and no ramen was ever the same to Naruto afterwards.

Hikaru walked next to the excited blond, listening slightly to the jabbering. His eyes darted around the familiar streets, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he was in Konoha. There was no weapon scars on the buildings, no rubble crowding the streets.

It was Konoha before the war.

Hikaru felt like crying as he ducked into Ichikaru's, but he hid it under his usual mask.

Naruto bounded over to the counter, plopping onto a seat. "I'll have miso ramen, old man!"

Teuchi glanced over, a kind smile on his face. Until his eyes rested on Hikaru, who was seating himself next to Naruto. "A new customer? Welcome."

"Thank you." Hikaru nodded to him. "I'll have whatever Naruto is having, but only one small bowl, please."

Teuchi didn't move for a moment, until he bustled over to a pot of ramen. "How do you know Naruto?" Suspicion was clearly heard in his voice, and Hikaru sighed slightly.

"He's my neighbor, dattebayo!" Naruto cheered as a bowl was set in front of him.

Hikaru watched as his bowl was served. It was obviously smaller than Naruto's, seeing as Hikaru didn't eat much. He hadn't been for awhile.

Hikaru took a bite of the ramen from his chopsticks, his eyes visibly watering. It's been so long since he'd eaten here, tasted Ichikaru's.

Hikaru shoved his emotions away, politely eating the ramen. Naruto was already on his second bowl, slurping loudly and calling for more.

Once Naruto had finished eating, Hikaru dug into his pocket and pulled out enough money, also tipping the man.

"Thank you for treating me!" Naruto cheered as they walked out.

Hikaru only smiled very minutely. "You're welcome, Naruto."

×××

Hikaru walked into the Hokage's office after knocking. "Private audience please, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded, waving his arm. The privacy seals glowed.

"We need a back story, Hokage-sama." Hikaru started to pace. "Maybe insert some fake files somewhere, just say I've been on a mission. Maybe insert some memories too."

"We will need Shikaku and Inochi for that, as well as some minor chunin, maybe. Say you're a fresh jonin." Sarutobi said. He quickly wrote out a message, and placed it onto the hawk.

Soon, two shinobi were in the office. Inochi and Shikaku both bowed to the Hokage.

Hikaru blinked when Shikaku seemed to analyze him instantly after his bow. Inochi didn't mind the new shinobi, only taking a quick glance.

"Who's this?" Shikaku asked, lazily stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Hikaru shoved away the image of Shikaku's death. The man had died from complete chakra depletion while holding over 30 white Zetsus in place he could kill them off. Shikamaru had been late to the scene and found that his father had died on Naruto's watch.

"My name is Hikaru Uzumaki." Hikaru lifted his chin slightly, taking in the sight of his advisors.

Inochi and Shikaku, when Naruto had become Hokage, had stepped down. Both of them, along with Chouza, lead genin teams and often advised Naruto on which teams to create in the Academy, when it was still running.

"My name's Shikaku Nara, and this is Inochi Yamanaka." Shikaku lazily pointed to Inochi. "Remind me why we're here?"

Hikaru glanced at Sarutobi, who took the hint. "You see, Hikaru and I need you help creating a backstory. He's never really had much work in the more... Artistic plot of things, so we called you." Sarutobi said, his hands folding underneath his chin.

Hikaru watched as both Inochi and Shikaku turned towards him.

"Backstory? Why do you need one?" Inochi asked, a slight understanding in his eyes. Probably for the wrong reason.

Hikaru sighed. "Is it okay if I tell them, Hokage?" He dropped the honorific, not entirely used to those words popping out of his mouth. He'd never really used them near the end of the war. Nobody had.

"You may."

So Hikaru opened his mouth, watching through his tale as Shikaku's eyes never revealed anything. Inochi's was slightly more open, showing strong disbelief but a sort of gleam at the end.

"So you need us to make you a backstory if you ever mess up. Create a few files, plant memories in a few people of your current self?" Shikaku summarized.

Hikaru nodded. "Yes."

"We'll be done by dawn tomorrow." Inochi interrupted. "What do you want the memories of you to look like?"

"Just passing glances. It shouldn't be anything major. No talking to me, nothing special. The files will only hold basic information, name, age, birthdate. As for amount of missions, make it a lot, but not enough to make me overly powerful. No s-ranks, the minimum amount of a-ranks for a jonin. Go wild with the rest." Hikaru said, his voice slipping into his old, snappy voice. The one he'd given orders to dying- already *  
dead shinobi.

Shikaku nodded, sighing heavily. "We have until dawn to do this? Good thing I got enough sleep last night."

"Dismissed." The Hokage said. "Hikaru, stay."

Inochi walked out while Shikaku lazily shunshined out of the room.

"So, what did you need to tell me?" Hikaru's head tilted to the side slightly, crimson hair falling gently into his face. 

"ROOT is disbanded fully. All members were either put into rehabilitation, therapy, or killed. Jiraiya is arriving tomorrow, and Danzo is currently rotting in a cell." The Hokage said. "I'm still rooting out ROOT members in ANBU and everyday life."

"That's- that's more than I expected." Hikaru whispered.

"I'm the Hokage. You can't expect me to not take immediate action."

"I have a request." Hikaru's eyes darkened, and his fists curled by his sides.

"What's this request?" The Hokage looked mildly interested.

Hikaru sighed, his mind whirling with plans. "One you cannot refuse."

"Let me go after the Akatsuki and Orochimaru by myself."

**________**

_1704 words_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh! Yeah, this book is on wattpad with about 35 chapters out if you guys don't want to wait for the next update.


	5. Chapter 5

Hikaru walked the dusty streets of Konoha, lost in thought as he chewed on dango. A bag of it hung in his hand, and Hikaru sighed.

The Hokage had accepted it, but had some terms. Hikaru had to take someone with him for all but Pein and Obito, as one shinobi dead was better than two. The second term was he take the rest of this week off to get some rest.

Hikaru's eyebrows furrowed. How the hell would he kill Orochimaru before Chunin Exams? It would take a week at most, and there were plenty before the Exams. But he also needed to hunt down Sound Four, get Gaara's seal fixed, make sure no Oto Shinobi came to the Exams, kill Kabuto, and maybe get a night of rest in between those periods.

Yeah, Hikaru had a ton to do in what... Four, five weeks? A month and a half?

He could send a clone to fix Gaara's seal while he took down Kabuto. Then another clone to keep an eye on Oto while he took down their leader and Sound Four. That would lessen his workload.

Hikaru collided painfully with a wall, then sighed. He looked around, before continuing to walk. He rubbed his throbbing forehead as he did, noticing a snickering from nearby civilians who watched the incident happen.

Hikaru shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes scanning the street, fully alert this time. A familiar chakra signature was behind him, and Hikaru slowly looked behind him.

Kakashi's eyes glanced up at him, darting back to his book as Hikaru stopped to wait for the male that was obviously trailing him.

"Hello. I'm Hikaru." Hikaru's eyebrow slightly twitched. "Remind me why you were following me, please?"

Hikaru started to walk again, Kakashi staying in step with him. The Icha Icha was no longer paid attention too.

"I haven't seen you around before." Kakashi said.

Hikaru had to shove his way through guilt to reply. Kakashi's death still hit him harder than most, and for an instant all he could see was blood and rubble with dead bodies piled over it.

"I go on a lot of missions." Hikaru replied vaguely. His hands started to shake, and Hikaru schooled his features to a blank mask he'd long perfected. Nobody could read it except for the people he was closest too, who watched him perfect the mask while comrades died.

"Every day?" Kakashi asked, flipping a page in his book.

"I sometimes take days off." Hikaru paused in his walking, recognizing the turn in front of him. It led to his apartment building.

"If you excuse me, Kakashi, I'll be going now." He turned down the road, before shunshining away.

He didn't see Kakashi's startled look as he left.

**___**

Hikaru collapsed onto his bed, his eyes closing. Back in Konoha, he rarely slept. It was usually 1-3 hours, and then he was taking a chakra pill and up fighting again. It had been like that near the end of the war for everyone.

Some didn't wake up. Others did.

That's the way life had worked back then. And when only Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke had been alive, they hadn't slept at all. It was funny that Naruto, the old dead-last, had been the last to go. 

Hikaru sighed, before sitting up again. He couldn't sleep. He wanted to move, feel something in his hands.

Hikaru stood up, getting dressed in his training gear. Back in the war, he had been moving constantly.

Maybe he could take care of one of his problems now. Hikaru's head tilted. Hypothetically, he could make the run to Suna... Well, in no time if he used his Hirashin seal. Then he'd seal Shukaku correctly, and be back to Konoha a little after dawn if he used the Hirashin seal again.

Or he could just kill Kabuto, but then Orochimaru would get ahold of it and flee with Sound Four. Then Hikaru wouldn't be able to do anything.

Hikaru sighed, digging around his living room for his fuinjutsu scroll. When he found it, he left a quick note on the table in case if they wanted to talk with him.

"I went to train." Hikaru whispered to himself. "If you read this, wait in the Hokage's tower at 8 o'clock in the morning."

 _I should be back by then._ Hikaru thought to himself. He knew he would be able to slip past security and find his long-time friend.

So with that note, Hikaru imagined the Kazekage's office, and disappeared. A flash of sullen, dark chakra was all a nearby ANBU, watching over Naruto, felt.

**___**

"I can fix your seal." Hikaru muttered to a redhead sitting on a rooftop. The redhead looked up, black bands around his sea-green eyes, and a pang of grief made Hikaru's eyes dart away.

Gaara had a more brutal death than most. He'd been fighting Madara, and a fireball that swarmed the area had hit him. Gaara had been burned to death, even with his sand protecting him. His screams were horrid.

"What do you mean?" Gaara's raspy voice asked. It was tinged with hope, something Gaara didn't seem to feel when Naruto had first met him.

"Your seal doesn't let you sleep." Hikaru said, crouching down to Gaara's level. "And this, uhm, Okaa-san of yours wants you to sleep. Is it okay if I fix the seal?"

Gaara's gaze turned colder. "Okaa-san says you're lying. Okaa-san says you can't fix the seal."

"Well, ask him if he knows who I am."

"Okaa-san says to shut up and fix the seal, you ungrateful host of Kurama." Gaara looked oddly confused. Well, as confused as he could be.

"I'm not the host of Kurama." Hikaru muttered. He had been, but Kurama...

Nope, Hikaru needs to get back on task. He couldn't grieve until this world was saved. Until Madara and Obito were killed.

"Let's go to your room first, then I can look at your seal." Hikaru said, looking expectantly at Gaara.

Gaara climbed off of the roof, swinging into his room. "What next?"

"Your seal is above your heart, correct?" Hikaru asked.

"Mhm." Gaara said, before his eyes glazed over. Hikaru stood awkwardly next to the window, before he sighed.

Pulling silencing seals out of his pants pocket, Hikaru started to set them up. He smacked the paper onto the wall, activating it with some of his chakra. It faded into the wall, and the ink showed against the pale paint.

When Hikaru finished placing the seal onto the last wall, he turned around.

And was met with a shirtless Gaara.

Hikaru sighed. "Did Shukaku tell you the next step? I'll try and make it so you could still talk to him, but also so you can sleep. You may not for a few days afterwards, but at least try."

 _And..._ Hikaru thought. _I'll make it so that nobody can steal your Biju before you die._

Hikaru examined the seal, before sighing. "If I draw the third kanji to the left a bit, maybe everything would be fixed. He wouldn't get out so often..." He muttered lowly to himself, before sitting back, placing a hand over Gaara's seal.

"Listen, Shukaku, don't escape yet unless if you want to kill Gaara. This is a painful experience, and I know you're attached to him." Hikaru spoke clearly, before summoning a clone.

"Put your hand right where my hand is and place our chakra into his seal. That'll loosen it a bit, and I'll draw up a quick seal to supress Shukaku's chakra." Hikaru ordered the clone, who nodded.

Hikaru removed his hand, pumping his chakra into the ink and drawing a paper seal that controls Shukaku's chakra. When he was done with that, the clone had popped and Shukaku was beginning to leave Gaara's seal.

Malicious intent that was weak compared to Kurama's leaked out, and Hikaru sighed, placing the seal onto Gaara's chest, right where his seal used to be.

"Okay. You go have a talk with Okaa-san, and I will draw up a seal." Hikaru muttered to Gaara.

Hikaru grabbed the ink and quill again, spreading his chakra out to feel for any other signature. Kankuro's chakra was alert in the room next to his, climbing out of the bed. In the hallway, a shinobi raced down the hall.

Hikaru grinned. "Gaara, make sure Shukaku isn't in a bad mood, please an thank you." He continued drawing the seal despite the door slowly opening, a trembling hand appearing.

Hikaru cleared his throat and henged into Gaara quickly, setting down his ink and quill to appear by the door. He'd seen Gaara in bloodlust before, felt the intent pressing onto him. So he copied the shine in his eyes, the gourd on his back.

And said in Gaara's haunting, raspy, sounds-like-a-nightmare voice, "Okaa-san wants your blood."

The shinobi backed out of there pretty quickly after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this chapter was somewhat light-hearted, so if you guys liked this style of chapter, well... I have news for you...  
> Anyway! After this chapter it starts to get a bit darker and more well-written.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hokage's Point of View**

I sighed as I looked at the two nervous jonin in my office. "So, Hikaru wasn't in his apartment when you went there, and he left a note. The note says wait until 8 o'clock before coming here."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Shikaku drawled out.

"It's half an hour to eight." Inochi interrupted. "I should've at least sensed his chakra by now!"

 _You can't really sense his chakra._ I internally sweat dropped. _He has seals on that hides that._

I folded my arms behind my back. "Hikaru will be back when he said he'd be back." I glanced out the window, staring at the rooftops.

 _I thought I ordered him to rest._ My mouth twitched up into a small smile. _Shinobi and disobeying orders..._

I sighed. "If he isn't back 15 minutes after eight, you will wait until 9 to come back here again."

"Hai." Both Inochi and Shikaku said.

**___**

**Hikaru's POV**

Hikaru looked over at Gaara, seeing the pitch-black bands around his eyes. He looked exhausted, and his hair was a mess.

"Get some rest." Hikaru mutters to Naruto's soon-to-be friend. "You need it."

Gaara ignores the remark. "How- how can I repay you, Hikaru-san?"

Hikaru sighs. "I don't know, really." He starts to Hirashin to the Hokage's office, knowing it's eight o'clock by the clock on Gaara's wall. "I'll tell you when I think of it."

And then he's gone, and in the Hokage's office to an inpatient Inochi. Shikaku just sighs and turns around.

"I'm here, Hokage." Hikaru says, running a hand through his long red hair. He really needed to cut it, maybe he'd make an appointment to get it cut. Shear it short.

"Hmm... What'd you do for my backstory and files?" Hikaru asks, looking at Inochi then Shikaku. For a moment, a sense of something flashes in the back of his mind. It quickly fades though, but Hikaru notices it and minutely frowns.

"Your backstory?" Inochi blinks. "I borrowed a few chunin, and put memories of chatting briefly with you when they were a bit younger. You're a recent jonin that was on a mission that lasted a week. Six successful a-ranks, 37 b-ranks, about 50 c-ranks, and 14 d-ranks. The only reason why you have a low amount of d-ranks in your file is because you're barely in the village."

"Your team, jonin and all, died in the Third War. You survived due to your high-level of sealing, and took many missions outside of Konoha after that. You specialize in fuinjutsu and ninjutsu, and have dabbled in kenjutsu. Anyway, in this recent mission you were on your own, and scouting out a base in the Wave Country. You will go destroy it sometime next month with a genin team." Inochi finished.

Shikaku stepped forward with a few files in hand. "Here. Read through 'em." He simply drawled.

Hikaru opened his file, and read it fully. His skills were simple and didn't list much, thus keeping most of his skills a secret.

"This is good. Thank you, Shikaku, Inochi." Hikaru said, before closing the files and handing them back.

**___**

Hikaru walked through Konoha, another bag of dango in his hand. He swung it slightly as he walked through less crowded streets. It was closer to evening, meaning not as much people were milling about.

He reached into the bag and started to munch on another dango stick.

It was three days after Hikaru's backstory had been created and he hasn't been able to get much sleep since then. Nightmares kept him awake, so he trained more often.

He was heading to a training ground right now, in fact. If only the chakra that's been tailing him for awhile would leave him alone.

Hikaru yawned, tossing the empty bag into a nearby trashcan. His posture was straight, and his chin was slightly tilted up. He'd drilled this posture into himself before becoming Hokage. After Neji got killed in a mission gone wrong.

Every dead body has taught him something, at least. From Neji, he learned posture. From Choji, he learned to worship food.

Ino, he'd gotten his long hair.

The rest hadn't mattered after awhile. Naruto had stopped learning things from them near the end of the war. They didn't have food. They hadn't had water. Only chakra and soldier pills.

Hikaru and Naruto were different people. Naruto had been full of hope, laughter, joy, and many other positive emotions.

Hikaru was filled to the brim with war.

Hikaru sighed, looking up slightly. It appeared to be about 9 pm, the time when almost all shops closed. He shoved his hands into his pockets before turning a corner, his undetectable chakra spreading out slightly to sense people.

Kakashi was tailing him again.

Hikaru abruptly stopped turned around. "Please stop following me." He said, making his voice slightly echo through the empty streets.

Kakashi sheepishly appeared around a corner, his outline easy to make out even though it was dark. His bright orange book was tucked away, and his black eyes bored into Hikaru's eyes.

"How did you know my name?" Kakashi demanded as he stopped a few feet away from Hikaru.

Hikaru thought back to their first conservation, and deadpanned. He had revealed he knew Kakashi's name despite Kakashi himself not telling him.

"Sharingan no Kakashi." Hikaru said, thinking back to the trusty Bingo Book. "Grey hair, wears a mask, black eyes. Has a Konoha hitai-ate covering his Sharingan eye."

"You're very easy to make out, Kakashi. Despite you waving the porn book around." Hikaru said, about to turn around and continue heading towards the training grounds.

He could smell blood wafting around them. He could almost see this spot turned into rubble, Madara standing here with Sasuke crumpling beneath him.

Hikaru found it hard to breathe for a second, but continued with his mask.

Madara himself didn't kill Sasuke.

Naruto had.

"Maa, I should've known." Kakashi said playfully, his eye crinkling into a smile. "Although you don't refer to me with any honorific as if we're good friends, or family."

 _We were._ Hikaru pushed down bubbling panic. He could remember when the Kakashi in the other world made up for being a terrible sensei. That Kakashi had been more honest than this one, more friendly and open. That Kakashi stayed up to have late-night chats only to fall asleep halfway through them.

That Kakashi was dead.

"I don't use honorifics." Hikaru said, his voice going cold as he fought to regain his control on his emotions.

He turned around and started to walk, ending the conservation.

But Hikaru knew it wasn't over. The Kakashi he knew, when Kakashi had latched onto something, wouldn't stop until he figured it out.

But for now, Hikaru and Kakashi went their separate ways.

**___**

Hikaru flinched at the loud noise from next door. It was the day before graduation, a night after the Kakashi stalking him incident.

Naruto's loud string of curses and apologies were very apparent through the walls of the apartment, and Hikaru sighed.

He wanted to go out and do something, train maybe, but the Hokage had sent a message that had strict orders. Extremely strict orders that involved threats, blackmail, and a promise for even more forced vacation and a sitting down with Kakashi.

Kakashi had only come up in the conservation because the Hokage told him that Kakashi had been looking for him today.

Thus, Hikaru was confined to his apartment by choice and some orders.

He stared at the wall, noticing the not-so-white paint. It was an off-white, and that was bothering him.

"No strenuous activity." Hikaru reminded himself, mocking the Hokage's words. "If I catch you outside of your apartment more vacation time is being added to the rest of this week."

 _Only a day._ Hikaru reminded himself. "Only one more day left."

Another loud crash and another string of curses.

"Sorry Hikaru-san! I tripped!" Naruto loudly shouted.

Hikaru sighed, getting up and walking outside his apartment. He went to Naruto's door and knocked on it.

Loud crash and a not-so-hidden curse.

The door swung open to reveal Naruto with a bruise on his forehead. "Oh! Hello, Hikaru-san."

"Hikaru is just fine, Naruto." Hikaru felt so awkward.

"Do you wanna go get some ramen?" He offered. "I'll pay."

Naruto's bright blue eyes lit up. "Yeah! Ichikaru's?"

"Hai, if that's where you want to go." Hikaru shrugged. "Although I'll miss out on the eating. I already ate today."

"Okay! Let's go!" Naruto grinned, and Hikaru froze as Naruto grabbed his wrist, dragging him out of the apartment building.

He could already feel the tension between the Hokage and him.

**___**

"Sasuke-teme is annoying! He thinks he's so better than me!" Naruto slurped on his large bowl of ramen. "And he's my rival, so I'm gonna beat him to the ground! Then he's gonna say sorry for being so mean to Sakura-chan!"

"Sakura?" Hikaru asked, trying not to feel utterly disgusted. He couldn't believe the way he, as this was his younger counterpart after all, ate. Things flew everywhere, including some spittle that Hikaru had to discretely wipe at.

"Sakura-chan's so pretty and cute and amazing! She's got some good chakra control and is super good at taijutsu! Sakura-chan also has pink hair, dattebayo." Naruto finally took a deep breath and continued rambling.

"I'll have another one, Teuchi!" Naruto said, handing the bowl to the guy to fill it. His blue eyes darted towards Hikaru, and the whiskers on his cheeks suddenly stood out as he slightly blushed. "Ah, sorry, I ramble a lot."

"It's alright, Naruto. We all do it." Hikaru replied, watching as another ramen bowl was placed in front of him.

Naruto blinked, his blue eyes watering. "You're so nice, dattebayo!"

Hikaru spread out his chakra again, going slightly pale as Naruto continued eating. This time, it wasn't because Naruto's questionable eating methods.

Sasuke was walking this way. Naruto could recognize the chakra, even the grumpy slouch.

For a second, a rare image of Sasuke laughing was in his mind.

For only a second, he imagined Sasuke being alive and well.

Then it shattered.

**______________**

Original: 12/31/2019

Edited: 12/17/2020

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter has about 1,796 words


	7. Chapter 7

**______________**

Hikaru stiffened slightly as Naruto leapt up, finished with his ramen. "I'm done!" Naruto shouted.

Hikaru blankly placed more than enough money on the counter- a tip for having to clean up Naruto's mess- and stood up.

The world swayed slightly and Hikaru's breathing picked up. But he managed to follow Naruto's swift escape from Ichikaru's, walking next to him on a dirt path.

A busy street filled with fangirls screaming and, well, fangirling.

Naruto growled, his fists tightening. "I'd bet that's Sasuke-teme!"

Before Naruto could move, the crowd parted to reveal Sasuke. His hands shoved deeply into his pockets and a blank look on his face.

Despite that, Hikaru knew Sasuke was genuinely annoyed from the way his mouth turned down in disdain, and the way his black eyes seemed to glare holes into your soul worse than they usually did.

Naruto was already rushing towards Sasuke before Hikaru could stop him, his words falling on deaf ears. Hikaru blinked, feeling panic grip him fully as Sasuke's eyes locked into his.

Hikaru's hands shook, and he backed up slightly, his brain repeating a simple signal over and over.

_Escape._

Thus he shunshined away, his mind reeling. He didn't know where he ended up, only that the world was spinning around him and his chest was so tight he couldn't breathe.

Naruto had killed Sasuke himself. He'd refrained from telling the Hokage how anybody died, only the barest details from the war.

He'd watched Sasuke die from his jutsu. His fault.

_Sasuke rushed at Madara, dirt smeared against his pale skin. His Sharingan eyes were flickering, a sign that he had only a bit of chakra left, and his hair was a mess._

_A flash of something, then Madara was behind Sasuke. Naruto tried to call out but his throat and mouth had gone dry-_

_Wind sliced Sasuke into pieces as Sasuke whirled around. Blood splattered against the already bloody ground. Naruto couldn't make out which one was Sasuke's._

_All Naruto could see was when Sasuke finally agreed to come back to Konoha. The look of hope flashing through his black eyes, the slight flush on the Uchiha's cheek. The way he looked younger, not so war-torn._

_Naruto felt something trail down his cheek, and an angry feeling setting fire inside of him. He saw Sasuke's hand and wrist, callouses and bruises on the pale skin. Blood coated the ground._

_Sasuke had worked so hard. Sasuke had become Naruto's friend and enemy. Sasuke was the person who Naruto needed to show light to the most._

_He rushed at Madara, his hands already moving for multiple chakra pills. He popped them into his mouth, feeling the instant boost._

Hikaru's hands tangled up in his long red hair, and he vaguely recognizes a loud, booming voice. Everything is too loud.

He could hear footsteps running heavily towards him, the rustling of clothing. But Hikaru couldn't breathe and there was a cloud in his brain that told him to panic.

A hand hit his shoulder and Hikaru's instincts kicked in. His kunai was yanked out of his pocket, and his hand dashed up to the hand on his shoulder. His arm, laced with chakra, flipped the man onto his back and a kunai hit his throat.

All of that happened almost faster then the man he knocked over could see.

Hikaru felt his hands tremble, and he pulled away, sitting up fully. He looked around, noticing that he was on top of the Hokage's Mountain, and Gai was worriedly peering at him.

Which means...

Lee was the one he knocked over. Hikaru backed away, falling over again. He formed a one-handed seal and vanished back to his apartment.

Fuck.

×××

Hikaru paced in his apartment, his footsteps thudding silently against the floor. It was night time, way past 10, so he should be okay. The Hokage should've gone to sleep.

Yet he could sense an ANBU watching his door from somewhere. Great. An ANBU watching his door, and another ANBU watching Naruto's apartment.

Hikaru was trapped. The walls were closing in on him, and his room seemed a little to small. He was panicking.

Hikaru knew he was panicking. Hell, practically anyone around knew he was panicking.

Hikaru needed to do something. He needed to _move_.

He looked around his window, not sensing any ANBU looking his way. Then jumped down.

His footsteps made no noise as Hikaru raced towards a training ground. He was tired of not doing anything.

Hikaru had survived by constantly moving during the war. He'd jumped away from kunai, dodged white Zetsus. He'd survived by moving.

So staying still felt odd. Hikaru hadn't remembered the last time he'd kept still for so long. He could feel his tiredness weighing down on him, making his footsteps slightly heavier, making his limbs harder to move.

But Hikaru needed to _move_.

Thus he trained. It was the only thing keeping him awake. That, and adrenaline.

Hikaru pulled out his sword, getting into a simple stance. His sword extended from his right arm, and Hikaru jumped forwards, blurring to the eyes watching him.

The log split three quarters from the top, and the remaining part fell over. The eyes watching him widened ever-so-slightly.

The person in the bushes turned and snuck away, only for a pair of red-tinted eyes to meet his.

"Why were you spying on me?" Hikaru's cold, detached voice demanded the person to answer.

"I- uh, I'm sorry." A foot scuffed against the ground guiltly. "But you were running through town, so I followed. I didn't think it'd be you, Hikaru-san."

"Who are you?" Hikaru's eyebrow raised. _This might be one of the chunin that Inochi planted memories in._ He sighed, his hand running through his long red hair that he often kept loose.

"I'm Daichi? I was in your class in the Academy, remember? I- uhm- I haven't seen you in awhile. Where have you been?" Daichi asked, his brown eyes glancing towards Hikaru's.

"Oh- sorry, it's been a long day. I'm a jonin now." Hikaru slipped into a friendlier persona. "I'm usually busy with missions. You?"

"I'm the same way, except I have more free time." Daichi chuckled. "Anyway, you know Nanami? The girl that had always fangirled over Takeshi?"

"Mhm. What about her?" Hikaru leaned against a tree and yawned, his hand lifting up to cover his mouth.

"She got married to Takeshi." Daichi smirked. "And we're only 26. Can you believe that she's even had two children that are three years apart?"

"What."

"My reaction in a nutshell." Daichi grinned. "Listen, gotta go 'cause it's getting late. I won't tell anyone about you being a jonin or anything. I know you hate being in the limelight."

Hikaru nodded his goodbye before sliding out of his persona. He sighed, before starting to walk back to his apartment.

He waiting until no ANBU were looking before going up the building and into his window, jumping inside. He looked at his bed, shuddering. Lately, he hasn't been able to fall asleep on his bed.

Hikaru curled up onto the floor with a blanket covering him and no pillow.

Hikaru despised pillows. They made his head hurt if he slept funny.

Although, it wouldn't hurt to have a pillow right now, Hikaru had slept without a pillow for as long as he could remember.

He could last another night without one.

×××

Hikaru yawned, stretching upwards, enjoying the pull on his muscles. He blinked, before noticing someone in his apartment that was definitely not there before.

Hikaru blinked, before noticing that he was sensing in Naruto's apartment.

 _Oh. It's just Naruto's chakra._ Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief, before schooling his features.

"Graduation day." He murmured to himself, staring down at his crumpled clothes. He shrugged and threw on his vest, glancing at the clock.

"6 am. Early enough." Hikaru yawned again as he tied his forehead protector around his arm. He made sure he had brushed his hair, although he couldn't find his brush so he just ran his fingers through his hair.

He extended his chakra to next door, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Naruto was awake and currently getting dressed.

So he walked out of his apartment and knocked on Naruto's door. He heard the following:

A loud crash, a string of many, many curses, a quiet huff, and a "I'll be there in a second!".

The door opened to reveal Naruto with a bruise on his forehead, rubbing it with a faint whine. "Oh! Hikaru-san?"

"Hikaru is fine, Naruto. Just Hikaru. Drop the 'san', please." Hikaru said as he led the Uzumaki out of the building.

"Uhm, okay. Hikaru." Naruto tested his name. "Alright. Hikaru, where are we going?"

"Ichikaru's." Hikaru answered. "I feel in the mood for ramen. I'll buy yours, if you want."

"Okay!" Naruto cheered, before he started to run towards Ichikaru's. "Race you there!" He called over his shoulder.

Hikaru sighed and quickly raced after Naruto.

**__________________________________**

_Hello! I hope you guys enjoyed this sorta-happy chapter. But if you didn't, don't worry. It gets darker. If you did enjoy this, well, it gets darker._

_This chapter has 1560 words._

Original: 01/01/2020

Edited: 10/14/2020

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally written on New Year's Eve, so it's been about a year since this has been written.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a massive update to get you guys up to date with Wattpad. I'm sorry if you have notifs on (idk how that works).

_Hello, again! Tbh it may seem like I'm bored and have nothing to do, only because most of my chapters are written from technically yesterday and today, but I have things to do._

_I'm just procrastinating._

**__________________________________**

Hikaru paid Teuchi for Naruto's ramen, and stood up. "Shall we go?" He looked over at Naruto, who stared back at him in confusion.

"Whaddya mean?" Naruto asked, but he stood up. His bright blue eyes reminded Hikaru of before he saw war.

Before he absorbed Kurama's chakra.

"I'm walking you to the Academy before I grab a mission." Hikaru grunted, turning away from the rapidly tearing up blond.

"Wha-?!" Naruto sniffed. "Why?"

"Isn't this what neighbors do?" Hikaru looked over, completely confused. He'd never really had any neighbors, even when he moved out of his apartment he'd just lived by himself in the Hokage's house.

"Eh? Yeah, dattebayo." Naruto said, although you could see the blatant lie in his eyes.

"Alright, let's go then." Hikaru said.

They walked in silence to the Academy, but Naruto spoke up when they got there. "Hikaru? Why are you so nice to me?"

"I'm related to you, Naruto." Hikaru recalled his half-truth from when he first met his younger counterpart. "And I'm trying to make up for not being there. Didn't even know you existed until a year ago, to be honest."

"A year ago?!"

"Mission, Naruto. I heard about you from a mission." He sighed. "Now, be sure to do well on your test. Bye."

Hikaru shunshined to the Hokage's office, folding his arms. The Hokage stared back at him.

"You've been getting along well with Naruto-kun." The Hokage said in amusement. "And Kakashi-kun has been asking about you again."

Hikaru sighed. "You talk to the sensei's yet?"

"Just about to in an hour or so. Please, hang out her until then. They need a chance to meet you." Sarutobi stated, his eyes sparkling. "Please, help me with paperwork. The pile continues growing."

"Use Kage Bunshin."

The Hokage's quill snapped.

×××

"Welcome, jonin." The Hokage said. "Where's Kakashi?"

"Late." Hikaru blandly said, ignoring the other jonin's startles at his sudden appearance. "Shall I go grab him, Hokage?"

"You may." Sarutobi said. "Make it quick. We can't be waiting for forever."

"Hai." Hikaru shunshined away, his chakra reaching out for Kakashi's familiar chakra, warm and sparking with lightning.

 _He's at the KIA stone._ Hikaru body flickered towards the cemetery, coming to a stop a little ways away from Kakashi, who stood by the stone.

"Kakashi." Hikaru greeted, remembering the times the man had been late to almost everything. His punctuality had gotten worse as time went on. "You're late to the Hokage's meeting."

"Maa, it's nothing important. I'll be there soon." Kakashi turned towards him. His eyes widened in surprise, before narrowing. "I haven't gotten your name yet." Kakashi reminds him.

Hikaru lets a small smile break his facade. "It's Hikaru Uzumaki." He steps forward. "And I'm afraid this is important."

"It's just watching a bunch of children talk to each other." Kakashi murmured. "It's not as if anything like that is important for surveillance. I'll find out everything I need to know when I test them tomorrow."

"Mhm. But the Hokage expects you to show, Kakashi." Hikaru says, falling back into his usual self. "It is important, you know. Just read your book throughout it. You just need to show up, Kakashi."

"Sounds like fun." Kakashi chirps. "You taking me there?"

"Might as well." Hikaru shrugs. "Let's go."

He tapped Kakashi on the arm and quickly shunshined back to the Hokage's office.

"You found him." Was the Hokage's immediate reply. "Let's hurry and get this over with."

"Hai." The group of jonin reply, and Hikaru quickly backs away from Kakashi. His hands are shoved into his pockets, and Hikaru sighs.

Kakashi pulls out his book and stays back from the jonin crowding the orb.

Hikaru walks over to join the Hokage. "Who's going with who?"

"You'll see." The Hokage says. Hikaru nods and watches the scene below him. He looks away once he sees his old classmates, standing up fully. He pulls out a small seal, fiddling with it to pass the time.

Hikaru heard a chuckle come from Asuma.

 _Must be the kiss._ Hikaru stops messing with the seal for a second. He weaves it over and under his fingers. It was a habit he used to do with the quill when he was thinking about seals and seal theory.

The room falls into silence only to be broken by a turn of a page. Nobody glances at Kakashi, but Hikaru looks up at the sound.

He sighs softly, before starting to pull out a scroll and ink, drawing up a quick storage scroll. Hikaru glances up as he finishes, noticing Kakashi looking curiously at him. The male's eyes continue to stare, and Hikaru blinks.

He walks over, sealing the ink away, and shows Kakashi the storage scroll.

"That doesn't look like any storage scroll I've seen before." Kakashi comments.

"It has a blood and chakra seal to it, along with other various precautions. Want it?" Hikaru asks, his face carefully blank as he stared at his old sensei.

Kakashi glanced up. "I just push some chakra and blood onto it and I'm good, right?"

"Mhm. It won't blow up in your face or anything. And if you want to place it onto a coat or something, just tell me." Hikaru looks over at the now-chatting jonin.

"Thanks." Kakashi grabbed it and slid it into his pocket, before putting away his book.

Hikaru blinks again, quickly realizing his henge was fading. He reapplies it, but not before Kakashi can notice the bags under his eyes and the sudden gauntness of his figure.

The Hokage turns towards Hikaru and Kakashi. "Did you hear what I've said?"

Kakashi doesn't say anything. Hikaru nods. "Yep."

He doesn't miss the way the other jonin stiffen at his lack of honorific.

×××

Hikaru felt his body sway slightly from exhaustion, but rubs at his eyes and continues the seal. Three more clones sit next to him, working on their own seals.

They're to help strengthen the village's walls if there's an attack. Hikaru had been working on it for awhile, and was almost completed. The only reason he hadn't finished yet was because Hikaru was tired.

He'd forgotten to root out the first problem where it had started to go to shit. Thus, the village was on lockdown, and Hikaru had no ANBU watching the door of his apartment.

Which meant he was currently sitting at Ichikaru's, half-heartedly eating a small bowl of ramen. He hadn't had anything to eat for lunch or breakfast, as Hikaru knew his wallet would run out of money pretty soon if he continued this routine.

Hikaru took a bite, before realizing that it was finished. He weakly nodded at Teuchi, standing up and gathering his papers. "Sorry about the mess, Teuchi."

"It's okay." Teuchi waved it off, an easy-going grin on his face.

Hikaru paid for his meal, keeping his features blank. He yawned as he left the ramen stand, noticing that it had been about an hour since he'd entered the ramen stand. The sky was turning darker as the sun started to set, signifying the end of graduation day.

Hikaru continued down the near empty street, noticing the lights in windows. He sighed as he walked, his footsteps heavier than normal. He was slightly slouched over, his vision spinning as tiredness hit him like a brick.

He went home and showered, letting the water run over his hair as he finally dropped the henge. He could count his ribs through his pale skin.

Hikaru winced when he saw a scar stretching from his left shoulder to just where his ribcage ended. It had been given to him when Choji had protected Naruto from a hit. Naruto had gotten a few scars out of that battle.

Hikaru remembered the quiet determination in everyone's eyes. Even Shikamaru's, who Naruto had originally thought didn't have an ounce of determination in his body.

Shikamaru had gone down fighting like everyone else, but he took out a lot of people with him. It was a win, in Hikaru's broken mind, that there was enough parts left bury Shikamaru.

He turned off the shower and stepped out, his long hair sending a cascade of water droplets to the ground.

Hikaru sighed, and got dressed. Afterwards, he took a kunai and handed it to a clone.

Red locks drifted to the ground, some tainted with white.

Long hair got heavy when it was wet. It was a setback Hikaru couldn't afford to have. Especially not with what he was going to do.

Hikaru collapsed onto the bed before rolling onto the floor with a heavy thud, taking a few blankets with him. He didn't want to sleep on his bed.

It was way to soft for Hikaru's taste.

**__________________________________**

_Hello! Recently, I've been thinking, which is dangerous for me to do, and I think this Oc!Naruto is a bit to... Cliché, maybe? To Mary-Sue ish?_

_This chapter has 1524 words._

Original: 01/01/2020

Edited: 10/14/2020

\- Duskfire


	9. Chapter 9

_Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**_________________________________** _

Hikaru stood in front of the Hokage. "I'm going to go to Otogakure." He quietly stated. It was the day after graduation, and Hikaru had woken up at 4 am due to Naruto's loud morning demeanor.

"No." The Hokage said. "You cannot."

Hikaru tilted his head. "Why?"

The Hokage stared at him. "Not yet. You should do that right before you kill Orochimaru... And Sound Four, was it? You might need a team for the Sound Four. Maybe another shinobi?"

"Hai." Hikaru sighed. "Who should I take and when should I go?"

"Hmm..." The Hokage chuckled. "How about you take Kakashi? He will need the break from his genin team. You guys will go the week after next, before the Wave mission. That's enough time to plan, no?"

"Mhm." Hikaru said. "I'll be going now. Bye." He opened the window and leapt off of it, continuing to walk once on the ground. Civilians started at him for a moment, but Hikaru kept walking.

He didn't know where he was going, but he just wanted to escape from his thoughts for a few seconds. Hikaru's feet lead him past Konoha, to the Nara's forest. He quickly jumped the wall, entering it.

The Nara Forest was where they got their shadow manipulation from. Shikamaru told him that one of the Otsotsuki was born with a shadow manipulation skill, and had married another. The other Otsotsuki had grown the forest for her, and she'd trained here everyday. When her children were born, they inherited the skill. Eventually, one of the Otsotsuki decendants had married into a clan made of geniuses. They called the clan Nara, and from then on the Nara's were shadow-wielding geniuses.

Shikamaru had said that the legend was a drag and troublesome. He had then proceeded to take a nap.

Hikaru walked up to a tree and leaned onto it, sitting down on the side that couldn't be seen from the wall. He yawned, curling up and leaning his head onto his knees.

He was tired, and needed somewhere to just... Think.

Hikaru hadn't figured out the exact way he would kill anybody yet. He knew Hidan could die from starvation, Kazuku died from killing all hearts, Tobi died from an extremely long war and Kakashi-

Hikaru shot up. "That's it! The Hokage will send Kakashi with me, and Ill back Kakashi up when killing Obito." He hissed to himself. The fight might go the way it had in his timeline, but they should prepare for injuries and other powers of Obito's.

Which meant he would have to show Kakashi the fight between him and Obito.

He needed to either use genjutsu or a Yamanaka.

Hikaru slid out of the forest, and went to his apartment building. Along the way, he ran into Team Seven.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

Hikaru steeled his nerves and emotions as Naruto immediately raced towards him. "Hikaru! We passed!"

"Good job, Naruto." Hikaru said, his eyes scanning the area. He didn't see Kakashi, which meant nothing really changed.

Sasuke looked at Hikaru oddly. One of his eyebrows was slightly furrowed, but his eyes were blank. This meant he was confused.

Naruto bounced up to Hikaru, his blue eyes shining. "I didn't introduce you to my team yet! This is Sasuke-teme, and this is Sakura-chan!"

Sakura's pink hair hid her eyes as she lowered her head. "Hello..?" She said, but it sounded like a question.

"Oh! I'm Hikaru Uzumaki." Hikaru introduced himself before his younger counterpart could.

"Woah, you cut your hair?!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at his short hair. "I didn't notice!"

"Dobe. Of course you didn't notice." Sasuke grumbled, and Hikaru could see the angry look on each other's faces.

"Teme!" Naruto yelled back.

"Hn. Dobe." Sasuke said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Hikaru sighed. "Naruto, do you wanna go get ramen from Ichikaru's?" He offered before a fight could start.

Naruto whisked around to him, his eyes closing in a wide grin. "Let's go!"

Hikaru allowed himself a small, miniscule smile. "Alright."

But then he saw the look on Sasuke's face, and paused. It was an almost sad, brief look that was quickly replaced with his usual mask.

"Ne, how about we invite your teammates?" Hikaru asked before Naruto could run off. "Celebrate you guys surviving Kakashi's test."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! Sasuke-teme, Sakura-chan!" He turned towards them. "Come to Ichikaru with us! Hikaru's paying!"

Hikaru wilted. His money was going to be gone after this.

"Maa, shouldn't you invite sensei too?" Kakashi was suddenly by Hikaru, who jumped. He hadn't been sensing for awhile.

"Hn." Sasuke answered, before hesitantly walking towards Hikaru and Naruto. "Let's go, dobe."

"I- I'll go too!" Sakura said.

Kakashi merely pulled out his book, and looked over at Hikaru. Hikaru's eyebrow twitched.

Great. He was paying, which meant all of his money was going to be gone. And he had to stay and watch Naruto and the others eat because Hikaru wasn't hungry.

So they headed to Ichikaru's with Naruto babbling about the test.

"And then I was tied to a log, dattebayo! And then Kakashi-sensei said something about how comrades are scum, and Sakura-chan fed me her food! Then a really cool storm appeared and Kakashi-sensei was suddenly there an he-" Naruto ranted only for a fist to hit his head, knocking him to the ground.

Hikaru looked over at Kakashi, who was reading his book like he didn't just hit his student over the head. Hikaru sighed. "Naruto, your sensei obviously didn't say that comrades are scum."

"Dobe. Didn't he say that breaking the rules makes you scum, but abandoning your comrades makes you worse than scum?" Sasuke asked.

"At least someone remembers my teachings." Kakashi murmured.

Hikaru ignored everyone as they bickered on the way to Ichikaru. He kept his face of impassiveness, but on the inside, he was freaking out.

Sakura had died days before Sasuke had. She'd gone down saying something to Sasuke, who had glared at Madara and started fighting with every last part of himself. Naruto had done the same, because Sakura was important to him. She hadn't been his crush for awhile, but she was one of his closest friends and leader of the Konoha hospital.

His hands twitched at his sides as he sat down on a stool, where everyone sat beside him. He was closest to the left wall with Naruto by his side, then Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi.

They mumbled out their orders as Hikaru's breathing ever so slightly picked up.

"I'm not going to have anything. I ate earlier." Hikaru waved Teuchi off, who started to make the ramen that they ordered.

His eyes swiveled over to the genin sitting beside him, realizing that they never did this in his time.

Danzo's organization was disbanded, which meant Orochimaru was weary of any attacks on his bases. If Orochimaru was suspicious, Kabuto and the Sound Four would all be on guard. That means Oto is watchful, and Orochimaru would make other plans.

He had to kill the snake before any plans could be put in action. He also had to kill Kabuto, who'd revived Madara in the war. The Sound Four were only important for the barrier, but he wanted to kill them anyway.

Hikaru pulled out a seal and began to work on it. This is what he did when he needed to think. When Naruto was Hokage, he'd just drew seals while a Shadow Clone worked on paperwork. It had helped him think of who to send to the war, who was expendable.

But Hikaru had learned that everyone was expendable.

He dipped his quill in ink, before starting to figure out another seal. Hikaru wanted to create a seal that helped people transfer nature affinities into natural chakra, which in turn went to other affinities.

 _If I put the first kanji in a circle..._ Hikaru tiled his head to the side, before crumpling his paper. He pulled out another piece of paper, ignoring the looks sent his way. _That won't work. The first quadrant has to have another component added to difuse the element into natural chakra, and has to have the other five available. Maybe if I do this..._

Hikaru jumped as the seal started to glow, his ink being quickly stored and his quill was too. He snatched up the seal and shunshined to a nearby training grounds.

And interrupted a training session.

Hikaru backed away from the seal right before it blew up.

He groaned, looking over to the side at a very confused jonin and his students. One genin had brown hair pulled back into a spikey ponytail. Another looked like an Akimichi. Another one had long blonde hair and clear blue eyes that Hikaru remembered.

Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.

Fuck.

 **____________** _____________________

_Hola!_

_This chapter has 1440 words._

Original: 01/01/2020

Edited: 10/16/2020

\- Duskfire


	10. Chapter 10

_Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**_________________________________________**

"Who are you?" Ino demanded, her hands resting on her hips. Choji looked at him curiously, while Shikamaru merely sighed. 

"Hikaru." He murmured softly.

Ino, who didn't seem to hear him, twitched her eyebrow. "What?! Tell me." She commanded, although she was a mere genin. 

Hikaru sighed, clearly showing his hitai-ate. "Hikaru."

"No last name?" Ino asked, blue eyes piecing into him. 

"Uzumaki." Hikaru said, making a handsign. "Uzumaki Hikaru." He shunshined away, back towards Ichikaru's, heart racing with panic. His mind was whirling. 

All he saw was a crimson stain splashed against white snow. 

That was all Ino had been reduced to after protecting Sakura- who had her hands full with other dying nin- from a Zetsu attack. She'd lived for two hours afterwards. He remembered her talking so much about having a girl's day with Sakura after the war, yelling about how Naruto or Shikamaru weren't invited. 

Hikaru had known that Ino wouldn't survive. He knew that he'd see her here, in this timeline. And he also knew that it was odd for him to be panicking over something that happened three years ago, but he couldn't help it. Seeing her had brought the unwanted recollection to the surface. 

"..." A quiet sound, as if muffled, was starting to catch Hikaru's attention. 

"Hikaru-san?" A lazy voice- one he knew like the back of his hand, and oh god _why was Kakashi here he couldn't-_

Hikaru blinked, glancing up, seeing the jonin stare at him. There was the smallest bit of a curious spark in his eyes, no Icha Icha to be found. The surrounding wasn't that of Ichikaru's, but of a field Hikaru knew quite well. 

"Maa, sorry for the new place, Hikaru-san. You looked like you were having a panic attack." Kakashi said, scratching his masked cheek with a finger. "And you might have a Naruto problem later on."

Hikaru nodded, his mind still whirling, still spinning as he tried to place himself in the _correct_ timeline. Or, at least, the current one. "Where am I?" He asked, trying to feign as if he didn't recognize the surrounding area. 

"Team Seven's training grounds." Kakashi easily replied, standing up from where he was crouched near Hikaru. Hikaru made to do the same, only for his limbs to fail, crashing harshly against the log he was placed against. 

Kakashi looked over at him before pulling out his Icha Icha, boredly flipping to a page where Hikaru assumed he'd left off. "You owe me, by the way."

"For what?" Hikaru asked, before standing up again, his legs wobbling. His hands were shaking softly, eyes closing as he tried to rebalance himself. 

"Maa, if I do recall correctly I had to pay the bill. And saved you from the genin, so I do believe you owe me." Kakashi eye-smiled over at him as they walked out of the training grounds, the grass making no noise under their feet. 

"Two favors." Hikaru blinked, his dull violet eyes focusing on the area ahead of them. 

"Mhm. Not using a favor, Hikaru-san, but why are you so thin?" Kakashi asked, turning a page in his book. 

Hikaru touched a finger to his cheek, shock sparking through him as he realized he forgot to apply his damn henge. So he glanced over at Kakashi, meeting the other's black eyes, stepping into a henge. He was once again, looking to have a healthy weight, eyes holding a small sparkle that they didn't hold before, springing to life. 

" I was in the last war." Hikaru began cautiously. "Out on the frontlines. I didn't have a chance to eat very often."

"It didn't occur to you to start eating again?" Kakashi chirped back. "But it's none of my business."

They continued walking in silence, Kakashi's last sentance falling thickly between them. However, it was almost comforting to Hikaru. His shoulders and back straightened as civillians chattered around them, and he lifted his chin, falling into a familiar walk. 

He walked like a Hokage. 

XXX

Hikaru sighed, staring at the clock with a cup of hot tea in his hands. "Stupid sleep schedule." He muttered, feeling his henge fully slip off.

He was exhausted. It was already two in the morning, and he wasn't looking forward for later that day, when the sun actually rose. His fingers drummed against the table, creating a low, resonating sound that hummed int he air. 

Hikaru took a sip of tea, relishing the taste. It had been quite awhile since he had tea- especially this flavor. 

Hikaru tried to think back to before the war. He'd become a genin, done the Wave mission where Zabuza and Haku died, then the Chunin Exams happened. Gaara, Sasuke, and Orochimaru had been key players in this, the latter leading to Orochimaru's death. 

He took another sip of his tea. 

Then Hikaru set it down, laying his head against the cool table. His shoulder-length crimson chair brushed against his cheekbone, his eyes closing. 

He wanted to sleep. But he couldn't, even though the heaviness in his brain was enough. He knew that later today would be a chore. 

Then he sighed, sitting up fully and gulping down the rest of his tea. _To hell with the Hokage's wishes._ He thoght. _I'm going to go and train._

Hikaru slumped as he recalled what he really needed to do. "But I need the time to plan and figure out what to do next." He whispered to himself, the words heavy in the quiet air. He stood up and pulled out a scroll, catching an idea. 

"I could think whie doing seals. Make a Kage Bunshin to set up some protection seals around the area. God knows I'll need them." He muttered, starting on his seal.

The act lulled him to do it mindlessly, the black ink soft on the stark paper. He dipped his brush back into the ink, making a few more kanji. He handed it off to the shadow clone, who placed it on a wall. The seal flashed a scarlet red before fading into the wall. 

Hikaru continued on another seal, doing it almost robotically. Seal after seal after seal. 

The brush's handle snapped in half. 

Hikaru sighed, before going to grab another brush. He dipped it into the ink. 

Three minutes later, it snapped again.

XXX

"Ready for Ichikaru's?" Hikaru asked the minute Naruto opened the door. It was right around 6 o'clock. 

"Mhm! Kakashi-sensei told us to arrive around 7! I hope he'll arrive on time today. Yesterday he was like, 3 hours late dattebayo." Naruto said grumpily. 

"Anyway, Hikaru, what happened yesterday? You were like, poof! Then you came back and fell over, dattebayo! And then Kakashi-sensei paid for us, then grabbed you, and you both disappeared." Naruto asked, blue eyes glancing at Hikaru's violet ones. 

"I was a little tired." Hikaru muttered. "But I slept pretty well last night, so I'm good."

"Okay..." Naruto said suspiciously. "Oh, and Kakashi-sensei told me to remind you that you owe him something! He stopped by yesterday, dattebayo."

"Alright. Do you know what you're going to do today, Naruto?" Hikaru asked curiously, looking at the excited blond as he walked down the street. 

"No! Kakashi-sensei refused to tell me, dattebayo! I hope we learn some cool jutsu, or take down an evil crimeboss and save an entire country! I hope I get something named after me _before_ I'm the Hokage." Naruto said. 

"You want to be Hokage?" Hikaru asked, blinking and feigning slight surprise. 

"Oh! I suppose I haven't introduced myself fully yet, dattebayo!" Naruto spun around, eyes closing in a bright grin. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I'm 13, and I like miso ramen and being a shinobi! I hate when ramen gets soggy and Sasuke-teme. My dream is to be the best shinobi ever and become the Hokage!"

Hikaru froze, staring at his younger counterpart. "I see." He murmured, before ruffling Naruto's hair, bending down to his height. 

"I believe you can do it, Naruto." He said seriously, looking into Naruto's eyes for a minute, before standing back up. 

"C'mon, let's go to Ichikaru's so you aren't late for practice." Hikaru muttered. 

Something latched onto his torso, causing him to go tense, surprise filling his body. He fought the instinct of _kill_ and _attack_ , glancing down the street. He returned the hug that Naruto had gave him. "Let's hurry up."

Naruto wiped at his watery eyes, unlatching himself from Hikaru, sniffling. "Okay."

They headed back down the street, and Hikaru pretended not to pay attention to the suspicious looks sent his and Naruto's way. 

He'd grown strangely attached to his younger counterpart. 

**Kakashi's POV**

Hikaru was an Uzumaki. Anybody that looked at him could notice it. The abnormal red hair, the violet eyes, pale skin. But Kakashi was reminded of Kushina every single time he looked at him, expect it was something _different_. Something strange, not Kushina yet so much like her at the same time. 

The delicate jawline, high cheekbones. The always-present teasing sparkle in his purple eyes although his face was blank. 

Kakashi had been trained to never pry, but always look underneath the underneath. He noticed that whenever Hikaru looked at anything around him, there was a certain type of longing and regret attached to his violet gaze.

He'd asked Naruto- however indirectly he'd done it- what was wrong with his neighbor. After all, Naruto had recieved that wistful look the most out of everyone. 

But all he'd gotten was a quick answer and the blond's trademark response. "I don't know, dattebayo."

Kakashi deemed him entirely unhelpful in that aspect, because it left him at a dead end. And Kakashi didn't like running into dead ends, didn't like crashing into something that left him so _insanely_ curious and not recieving a _reasonable_ answer. Usually, he tried to stay out of the drama jonin had going on these days- and he'd gotten very good at that. Especially keeping his nose out of the relationship Kurenai and Asuma tried to keep hidden- although almost everyone knew about it. 

But the moment he saw Hikaru walking down the street, he'd known instantly that everything he worked so hard towards- mainly keeping out of the drama- would crash and burn. And he would be dragged into everything having to do with his students. 

And he'd gotten himself drawn in again. He was so utterly _captivated_ by this strange man who looked so much like his sensei's wife. 

**__________________________**

_Hello! This chapter is somewhat short, sorry about that! It's kinda a filler chapter to fill out some gaps in Naruto and Hikaru's relationship, as well as smoothen out some of Kakashi's aspects..?_

_This chapter has 1768 words_

Original: 01/01/2020

Edited: 10/16/2020

_\- Duskfire_


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**_______________**

Hikaru blinked, then blinked again. He stared at the blond in front of him, surprised at what had just come out of Hikaru's mouth. 

He'd just invited Naruto and his teammates to dinner. 

He was surprised at his actions, and couldn't help but let a spiral of confusion pierce his gut. He was out of control. 

"I- I mean, if you want your teamamted to be there. Uhm, extend and invite to your sensei as well." Hikaru muttered quietly, fidgeting with his fingers. 

Naruto stared at him blankly, before his eyes lightened up. "I don't want Sasuke-teme to be there, but I'll invite 'em anyway! And you want Kakashi-sensei to be there as well..?" He asked, tilting his head. 

"Ah, I just figured that since, it's a team dinner..." Hikaru looked back to the side, before gathering himself up. "You guys should have a team dinner to bond, so what's better than my place? Kakashi and Sasuke will prefer privacy, and Sakura will likely not want anyone at her civillain house. Your house is a mess. Mine isn't, and I've met your team before."

"Okay! I'll go an' invite them right now." Naruto grinned, blue eyes filling with happiness. "And we'll come over 5 o'clock, maybe?"

"Yea. That'll be okay." Hikaru said, allowing a soft smile to flit across his features. "See you then, Naruto. And make sure to tell Kakashi to be here at the correct time!"

Naruto nodded. "See ya!" He raced off, throwing a wave over his shoulder. 

Hikaru sighed. He didn't know what to make, only what was his team's favorite dishes. Naruto liked ramen. Sakura loved onigiri, and Sasuke would eat almost anything with tomatoes in it. Kakashi, however...

Nobody knew what Kakashi liked. The man was still as elusive as he was in Hikaru's original timeline. 

Hikaru heaved a heavy sigh. _I'll have to go to the market and buy plates and utensils so I can actually cook. And more food._

He turned back towards his apartment, realizing he only had four chairs and a small table, and the living room only had a single three-person couch. 

_And more furniture._

XXX

Hikaru set the bags on his brand new table and started to unpack. The new table could hold six spots although only five would be used. 

"Plates go in the third cabinet, bottom shelf." Hikaru murmured to himself. He reached up, putting the plates away. He grabbed bowls and also set them away. 

He would have to go on missions soon, as he was almost out of money. Turns out buying another couch, table, and a chair cost a lot more than he expected it too. Things such as furniture back when there was still shops around in the war were cheap, considering the abundance of them. 

But he did pick out some high-quality ones, so Hikaru would be fine for as long as he was here. Hopefully. 

XXX

Hikaru hummed as he busied himself with tidying up the house. He picked up his sword and moved it to his bedroom, setting it carefully in the corner. He glanced around the room. His old table was in the corner, as he was planning to use it as a desk for seals and supplies, etc. 

His bed was an absolute wreck, a single blanket on the floor, the rest in the corner from the few nights he attempted to sleep there. The pillow was teetering dangerously on the edge, ready to spill a cup of water he kept on the floor. 

Hikaru sighed again, picking up his blanket and folding it, placing it on his bed. He moved the pillow to where the other blankets were, walking out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He quickly checked if the bathroom was clean, which it was. 

He glanced up at the clock, wilting. "It's only 2?" 

It felt like he had been cleaning for hours, but it had only been half an hour since he'd started. 

His eyes began to droop slightly, and he walked over to a nearby wall. He was always tired, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little nap. 

His henge slowly slipped off for the first time that day, and he fell asleep, crouched in the corner. 

XXX

Hikaru jolted awake, his heart racing, hands shaking. It was cold _cold cold_ and he couldn't bring himself to focus, everything blurry and mind-numbling. His fingertips brushed against something metal, and he gripped it, not even realizing it was a kunai until it thudded into the wall right below the clock. 

His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he wearily stood up, shaking the nightmare from his head. His shoulder-length red hair slipped over his vision, but he brushed it away with a pale, shaking hand. Hikaru glanced over at the clock, groaning at the time. 

It was 3:05, an hour and... 55 minutes before the dinner. He rubbed at his eyes. 

"Might as well go ask Kakashi what he wants for dinner, provided Naruto remembered to ask him." 

He looked away from the clock, yawning, his shoulders drooping. Hikaru lazily slid into a henge, walking to the bathroom and brushing his hair. He glanced into the mirror. 

Haunting purple eyes stared back at him. He didn't look as thin as he used too because of his henge, but Hikaru knew it was still _there_. Like his past, like the unrelenting nightmares that wouldn't _leave him alone_. 

He glanced away from the mirror, not wanting to look at the person there that didn't look like him. That didn't look like who he used to be. He exited the room, spreading out his chakra, closing his eyes. 

Naruto was in the next room over. There were no ANBU anywhere near here, as Naruto was put into a team and didn't need their protection. 

_A little further..._ Hikaru thought, spreading his chakra further. 

Kakashi was in his apartment, it looked like, reading a book. 

His eyes snapped open, and he formed a one-handed seal, disappearing in a red flash. He looked up, seeing the building and determining which window would be Kakashi's. 

He frowned, trying to recall which floor Kakashi was on. "The third floor, right..?" Hikaru muttered to himself, before using chakra to latch onto the wall, quickly scaling it. Curtains were draped over the window, and Hikaru knocked on it, chakra making him stick to the outside ledge of the window. 

Kakashi peeked out of the curtains then deadpanned as soon as he saw Hikaru, opening the window. Hikaru swiftly invited himself inside, twisting inside the apartment. He glanced around, seeing how unfamiliar it was. Hikaru, back when Kakashi's apartment had existed, had only been in there a grand total of once. And that was when there was ninken dogs laying around, bowls, and all of that. This apartment was _empty_. 

"Maa, Hikaru-san, why are you here?" Kakashi asked, tucking his book away into his pocket. Hikaru blinked over at the fellow jonin, a small bit of curiosity sparking in him. 

"Ah, I just wanted to make sure that Naruto invited you and his teammates." Hikaru said, about to continue before he was interrupted. 

"Naruto forgot here his apartment is, and therefore, where yours is. And I, personally, don't know where your apartment is, otherwise I would just grab Sasuke and Sakura." Kakashi said, grey eye darting back to where his book was held almost wistfully. 

"My apartment next to Naruto's, the one right next door to the left. You know where his is at, right?" Hikaru felt a yawn arriving and swallowed it, his hands shaking. He stared at Kakashi, the man who had been his sensei for so long that they'd become like _family_ near the end of the war. 

Family that Hikaru had lost. 

"Yeah." Kakashi pulled out his book, the brilliant orange cover sending a bright flash of memories through his mind, but Hikaru pushed them away. He couldn't do this right here, right now, where the cautious jonin was already keeping an eye on him due to him _fucking up_. 

"Be there at _five_ , Kakashi. No later than that, and I'll take care of Sasuke and Sakura." Hikaru said, casting a glare at the seemingly uncaring man. Kakashi glanced up, raising a silver eyebrow, their eyes meeting for a split second before Hikaru looked away. 

"Maa, maa, don't hurt my precious students Hikaru-san." Kakashi gave a light chuckle, before looking back down at his book. Hikaru was careful to not let a smirk show on his face as he imagined the look on Kakashi's face when he showed him what surprise that the other would give him. 

"Oh, speaking of which, I came here to ask you what you wanted for dinner." Hikaru said, sighing at the jonin who was not paying attention to him. It was slightly frustrating, but more endearing than anything. 

"I don't really care, I'll eat anything." Kakashi eye-smiled at him. 

"Tell me, please?" Hikaru mirrored his action, trying- and failing- to make it seem a lot less threatening than what it actually was. 

"Again. I'll eat anything." Kakashi says, turning a page in his perverted book, giggling softly.

"Fine, I guess I'll just _not_ tell you where to find _limited_ edition of Icha Icha..." Hikaru whistles innocently as Kakashi's head shoots up, eyes widening. Hikaru goes to stand up, only to be stopped by a sideways glance that halted his tracks, and then an eye-smile that spoke of not only _danger_ if he didn't tell him, but _pain_ for the next few years.

Hikaru kept himself from grinning. 

"I'll tell you my favorite if you tell me where to find them." Kakashi says. 

"Okay. Your favourite first, then I'll give you the location." Hikaru says, pulling out a slip of paper that had very specific instructions and coordinates on it. Kakashi's eyes followed the movement, something in them having a desperate gleam for more rare perverted books. 

"Grilled fish." Kakashi says, reaching for the paper, only for Hikaru to pull it just out of his reach. "Any fish, just grilled. I don't care. Give me the paper." He says the last part as if Hikaru was only a small word away from dangerous territory.

This time Hikaru can't keep his smile. "It's buried underneath the sakura tree by the foxgloves just outside of the village gate." 

He hasn't cracked a smile this wide in awhile, his lips stretching to the point it hurt, and his face glowing, purple eyes gleaming with a spark that didn't seem false. He handed the paper to Kakashi, and then the paper itself was gone. 

Kakashi was looking at him, frozen at the sight of Hikaru's grin, grey eyes slightly widened. It was the first time he'd ever seen the man break out of his seemingly always there mask- except for the panic attack but Kakashi didn't like to count that. It was an unwilling experience and his wallet still ached. 

"See you later, Kakashi." Hikaru chuckles, before leaving out of the window, a rush of cool- but somehow sweltering- air behind him. Kakashi stands up, closing the window, mind fixed on the sight from a few seconds ago. 

_The man that looks like Kushina..._ Kakashi turned back towards his book, deciding to wait at least five minutes before rushing towards the location. _Also has her grin._

_I wonder what happened to hide that grin away from others._

**____________**

_Whew! So this chapter is definitely one of the longer ones- bordering on 2,000 words. Sorry about that, it wasn't really planned, words just kinda flowed. I didn't even plan around the limited Icha Icha part, it was just an idea that I will be implimenting now._

_This chapter had 1965 words._

Original: 01/01/2020

Edited: 10/19/2020

_-Duskfire_


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